Coupling plate having a plurality of electric coupling points, a method of producing such a plate and a use of the coupling plate as a planning board

Abstract

A coupling plate with a plurality of electric coupling points comprises, in a preferred embodiment, a pair of plane plates (10, 12), between which there is provided an electrically insulating carrier layer (11), on which a pattern of electrically conducting areas (21-26) is provided. In the preferred embodiment, an electric coupling point is provided for each mechanical coupling stud (15) projecting from the upper side of the top plate (10). The studs (15) are hollow and flush with projections (19) on the lower plate (12) so that punched parts of the electrically conducting areas (20, 22, 24, 26) are just moved into the hollow coupling studs by means of the projections (19) on the lower plate (12), thus making the conducting areas accessible through cuts (16) in the coupling studs (15). The invention also concerns a method of producing such a plate and a board consisting of a plurality of interconnected plates of said type.

I claim: 
     
       1. A coupling plate consisting of a number of layers and having a plurality of electric coupling points adapted to cooperate with electric coupling means on some elements when these are placed on the coupling plate, characterized in that the plate comprises two parallel plates, between which there is provided at least one electrically insulating carrier layer for a pattern of a plurality of mutually isolated electrically conducting areas, some of which being partially punched, and that an electric coupling point comprises at least one depression in one of the plates for receiving a partially punched flap of an electrically conducting area in a position transverse to the plane of the coupling plate. 
     
     
       2. A coupling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that the second plate has projections which are flush with the depressions and face these to fix said flaps in the respective depressions in the first plate. 
     
     
       3. A coupling plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first plate comprises a plurality of rows of coupling studs projecting from its upper side, said coupling studs having a mutual modular distance to mechanically retain the said elements on the plate, said coupling studs being hollow and downwardly open to provide said depressions and open laterally via at least one cut in the side wall of the coupling stud. 
     
     
       4. A coupling plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one of the plates has a plurality of guide pins facing the second plate to be received in aligned holes in the relatively thin layer of material and in the second one of the plates. 
     
     
       5. A coupling plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a section of the carrier layer, which has electrically conductive terminal areas connected with the flaps, are bent along one of the edges of the coupling plate to provide a multiplug. 
     
     
       6. A method of producing a coupling plate having a plurality of electric coupling points adapted to cooperate with electric coupling means on some elements when these are placed on the coupling plate, characterized by providing a plurality of mutually isolated, electrically conducting areas on a layer of electrically insulating material, producing a plurality of flaps, e.g. by punching, which are contiguous with said layer via slightly flexible, electrically conducting connecting members, and bending the flaps into respective cavities in a preferably self-supporting plate and fixing these in said cavities. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 6, characterized by introducing the flaps into the cavities by means of a tool. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by introducing and fixing the flaps in the cavities by assembling the self-supporting plate and a second plate having a plurality of projections facing the cavities of the first plate, said projections having a cross-section corresponding to the contour of a respective one of the cavities. 
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 6, characterized by producing said layer as several layers of alternately insulating material and electrically conducting material. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claims 6, 7 or 9, characterized by applying a layer of electrically conducting material to the areas of the electrically conducting material intended for contact formation. 
     
     
       11. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein a plurality of said coupling plates are joined together to form a planning board. 
     
     
       12. A board according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling plates are secured to a plane base and adjoin each other edge to edge in accordance with a modular measure defined by the marking elements.